IREF Europe

The Technical and Economic Nature of a Lengthened Production Structure

2026-07-12T12:34:00Z

Canonical Austrian business cycle theory holds that a lower rate of interest lengthens the structure of production. Fillieule (2007) derives the opposite conclusion: the average period of production rises with…

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Why Do Central Bank Economists Listen to Some Countries More Than Others?

2026-07-08T09:07:50Z

When central banks make decisions about inflation, interest rates, or financial stability, they rely heavily on economic research. But where does that research come from? And whose ideas end up…

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Has the Euro Really Brought Europe Closer Together?

2026-07-08T08:27:09Z

One of the main promises behind the euro was economic convergence. By sharing a common currency, European economies were expected to become more alike over time, making a single monetary…

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Did ECB Policy Make Germany’s Banking System More Resilient?

2026-07-08T08:09:37Z

For nearly two decades, the European Central Bank has relied on exceptionally low interest rates, massive asset purchases, and generous lending programs to support the economy. These policies were designed…

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Monetary Policy Transmission and Bank Resilience in Germany

2026-05-25T13:01:55Z

Monetary policy changes the stability of German banks differently based on their ownership and business goals. Existing literature shows that monetary policies stabilize markets but can also encourage institutions to…

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The Geography of Central Bank Research

2026-05-13T11:58:24Z

Central banks influence economic debate through research and citations. This paper studies whether citation patterns reflect past colonial ties or present currency hierarchies. Using a bibliometric dataset of 334,750 economics…

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Inflation: the worst of all taxes

2026-05-10T15:21:57Z

Milton Friedman is often quoted as having said something to the effect that inflation is taxation without legislation on multiple occasions during his career (cf. for example Friedman and Friedman…

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Eurozone: Convergence or Divergence?

2026-04-17T17:41:27Z

We revisit the euro’s promise of convergence through a new Divergence Monitor tracking business and financial cycle synchronization since the 1980s. Business cycles became more aligned after 1999, but financial…

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10th Austrian Economics Meeting Europe

2026-04-17T15:28:02Z

The 10th Austrian Economics Meeting Europe will take place at the Université Catholique de l’Ouest (UCO) in Angers (France) from May 28–30, 2026. The conference brings together scholars working in…

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How Poland Became One of Europe’s Best-Performing Economies

2026-02-27T22:24:15Z

For much of the past decade, Europe has been weighed down by prolonged economic stagnation. Growth has slowed, productivity has stalled, and even the continent’s largest economies—Germany and France among…

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